HASTINGS District Council Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers is encouraging people to make a difference by voting in the upcoming local body elections.
In 2013, only 19,927 people - less than half the eligible population of Hastings District - cast their vote in the local government election, according to data from the Department of Internal Affairs.
Ms Bowers said she was not sure why voter turnout was low, but thought it was not just a Hastings issue as voter turnout in elections for other local authorities, and central government was also low.
Ms Bowers, who will be standing for re-election this year, said she thought it was important people did vote.
"It's a right that we've all got, and that has been hard won," she said. "It's a very important way of having an influence on who represents you ... people can influence who gets elected, and the only way they can do that is by voting.